Railway lighting apparatus.



1. BUUR.

HEET I.

Fig.1-

llillllilll INVENTOR Wm ITNESSES Aw b. i m nfis k J BHUR.

' RAILWAY LIGHTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED Die. 1. 1910.

1,241,908. Patented Oct. 2,1917. F 1 2 SHEETS-SFET 2. I

VENTOR ATTORNEYS D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH BIJUE, OF NEW YORK, Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE SAFETY CAR HEATING ANDLIGHTING (10., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

RAILWAY LIGHTING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2, 191 '7.

Application'filed December 1, 1910. Serial No. 595,070.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosErH BIJUR, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway LightingApparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to electric regulating apparatus. One oftheobjects thereof is to provide a simple and efficient system ofelectrical distribution peculiarly adapted for lighting railway trains.Another object is to provide apparatus whereby the output of a generatordriven at varying speeds can be properly controlled and regulated forcharging storage batteries and meeting other conditions of use in asystem of the above nature. Another ob ect is to'provlde a trainlighting system in which the current is economically used under allconditions of service. Other objects will be in part obvious and in partpointed out hereinafter;

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope ofthe application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein are shown one or more of variouspossible embodiments of the several features of this invention,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan.

Fig. 2 is a plan, partially in section, showing regulating mechanism.

Fig. 3, is an elevation of the part shown in Fig.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings,

.\ there is shown a generator 1, connected in series with the shuntfield 2 of which is a variable resistance medium 3. The value of theresistance of this medium is affected by coils i and 5, the first ofwhich is serially connected in the generator main 6 and the second ofwhich is bridged across the generator terminals to present a fieldsubstantially proportional to the voltage of the generator output. Thisvoltage coil as well as the other voltage coils herein have seriallyconnected therewith resistance elements 7 formed of a material ofsubstantially zero temperature coefiicient' whereby the effect ofvariations in temperature upon the resistance of these voltage branchesis rendered substantially negligible.

Considering in detail the mechanism actmg upon the variable resistance3, it is to be noted by reference to Fig. 2 of the draw ings that thisresistance comprises a pair of sets of contacting members, as carbondisks 8, these members and sets being serially connected one withanother. These disks, which are arranged in upright position, abut atone side against a plate 9, adjustable as by the screw 10, and at theother side against a movable pressure plate 11, suitable insulationbeing provided.

Mounted upon the frame 12 is a rotatable shaft 13 and secured to thisshaft is a rockmg member 14: pivoted as shown at 15 to a link 16 whichis in turn pivoted to the pressure plate 11 by the pin 17. These partsare so disposed as to form a toggle, as indicated in Fig. 3 of thedrawings, and as this toggle is swung into its alined position it tendsto compress the carbons, thus balancmg the increasing resistance tocompression of the carbons by the increasing pressure exerted by thetoggle, as hereinafter noted.

The member 14 is provided with'an arm 18 which is adapted to be engagedby an ad justable screw 19 upon a lever 20 pivoted at 21 for independentrotation or oscillation. One end of this last lever is provided with adashpot 22 and the opposite end with a core 23 coacting with the coil 1.

Secured upon the shaft 13 is a lever 24 having at its opposite ends thedashpot 25, and a core 26 coacting with coil 5.

Suitable springs 27 are provided in such position as to tend to retractthe pressure plate 11 and adjustable springs 28 and 29 respectivelycoacting with the levers 20 and 24 to oppose the action of thecorresponding solenoids. It will thus be seen that the lever 20 mayswing independently of the resistance element 3 throughout a portion ofits path, but upon being swung downwardly to a suflicient degree willinterlock with the arm 18 and reduce the pressure upon the variableresistance.

By this construction the increasing resistance to compression exerted bythe carbons as compression progresses may be substantially compensatedby the increasing leverage of the toggle. The increasing or de creasingpull of the solenoids as the cores move up and down may be compensatedby the angularity and stretching of the corre sponding springs so that,for a constant strength or excitation of the solenoids, their pull issubstantially balanced by the mechanical opposition, irrespective of thepo sition of the regulator in its range. in this manner the carbons maybe compacted to whatever degree of low resistance is found expedient,and may also be opened to produce as high resistance as may be necessaryto limit the generator voltage without substantial disturbance of thebalance between the solenoid and the spring, thus giving a widevariation of resistance according with predetermined conditions.

will also be seen from the above con-- struction the spring retractingthe series solenoid may be set to correspond. to any current valuedesired, Below these current values the arm has a tendency to rotate ina clockwise direction and does not assist the pull of the voltagesolenoid. When the current exceeds the set value, the series solenoidshaft tends to rotate anti-clockwise, and so much of the magnetic pullas is in excess of the spring pull is added to the pull of the voltagecoil.

As conducive to a clearer understanding of the operation of the abovefeatures of this invention, it may be noted that a battery may beoperated to a state of substantially full charge by applying to itsterminals a constant voltage, the eiiect bein to taper off the chargingcurrent until the attery, when full, is taking no material current. Sucha charge is advantageous in that iniurious overcharging is avoided,since the fuller the battery becomes the less the charging current thatgoes into it. If the voltage suitable to taper off the charge of thebattery be maintained across the terminals of a battery that iscompletely discharged an excessively high current would flow into it.Accordingly, a dominant aim of thisinvention is to limit the currentflowing into the battery, it in a discharged condition, to somepredetermined amount, such as either the limit which is innocuous forthe battery, or the limit which the generator will withstand, the valueor the series coil may be set to one of these, or some other, limits.

The above apparatus may be placed upon any car of the train and in factthis entire system may be used upon a single car or any desired portionthereof may be so used, but in the illustrative embodiment heredescribed the apparatus above set forth is assumed to be placed upon onecar as the tender of the to the conductor 32,

field strength of the e locomotive and this portion of the appa ratusdown to the couplings, diagrammatically indicated at 30, may be referredto generically by the letter A. In like manner the apparatus between thecouplings 30 and couplings 31 is assumed to be upon another car of thetrain as B and the remaining portion of the system upon a third car C.Moreover the number of cars may be indefinitely increased by anapplication of the principles of this invention.

it may here be noted that the term car is used throughout with a broadsignificance to denote any vehicle whether it be a locomotive tender,passenger coach or otherwise.

Considering now the apparatus upon car B, which, as above noted, may beplaced upon car A if desired, the mains 6 and 32 are connected from carA by any desired form of coupling. rectly throughout the train, whereasthe conductor 6 passes first to the end of the as 33 and then turns uponitself, making a connection with the various sets of apparatus ininverse direction with respect and thus neutralizing the effect ofpotential drop throughout the length of the train.

Connected across the mains is a potential coil 34 and it may here benoted that the term coil is used with a broad significance to comprehendeither a fixed core magnet or a solenoid and in fact any conductor sodisposed as to present a substantial mag netic field. The field otthiscoil attracts a circuit closing switch 35 which upon acting closes thecircuit through the coil 36, also active upon this switch, and thencethrough storage or secondary battery 37 to conductor 32. Leading fromthis battery 37 is a conductor 38 which after passing through a variableresistance device 39 and a coil 40 leads to a lamp load or othertranslating devices 41, the latter being connected between thisconductor and the main 32.

A voltage coil mechanism, dis the bell crank i sure upon a varia whichis serially c coil as also CODliGCLc circuit through 061.. 45 leadsthrough a sn l5 through suitable queen indicated by the lever a?controls the value of variable resistance element 39 and according asthe field of coil 42, and consequently of'coil 45, increases, the levers7 cuts more resistance into the main and tone 0 reduce the abnormalvoltage occasion :0. increase of the An abnormal ncdicd in the re "ch 46is retracted actii'ig through suitable ically indicated by controls theprestance element is with a voltage s the mains. The coils l2 anddecrease of voltage verse manner. by a spring 48 b Conductor 32 is leddi-' Voltage coil current through the coil 40, above referred to. Thereis also provided a voltage coil 49 bridged between the conductor 6 andthe conductor 32 which is adapted upon the generator being in action toexert sulficient field strength to act of itself to close the switch.Accordingly, if either current is flowing to the lamps through coil 40orfield strength given to coil 49 by the running of the generator, theswitch 46 will be' closed and the voltage regulating apparatus renderedoperative. But if neither of these conditions-obtain the spring 48 opencircuits the voltage regulating apparatus and does away with the drainof current from the battery through the coils 42 and 45.

The operation of the dynamo regulating apparatus, if no lamp load wereon and the battery were in a substantially discharge condition, would beas follows :Assuming that the spring opposing the current solenoid 4were setto conform to the current value which the generator could standcontinuously and that the spring of the voltage coil 5 were set to sucha value as would pass only a slight current into a fully chargedbattery, upon the car speeding up from rest, the carbons in theregulator remain in a highly compressed state, the generator fieldstrength is nearly the maximum, and at a to the battery and will deliverto the battery low speed the generator attains sufficient voltage toequal that of the battery and close the main switch 35. This voltage ismaterially below that for which the voltage coil is set, and the voltageremains low until the battery is partially charged. The voltage coil,therefore, does, not open the carbons. With slightly increasing speed ofthe car, generator current flows into the battery at a rapidilyincreasing rate until the value is reached for which the currentsolenoid is set, whereupon it moves anticlockwise, adds its pull to thatof the voltage solenoid, and begins to open the carbons. A furtherincrease in speed tends to produce increasing current, which causes theseries solenoid to over-balance the regulator, opening the carbons untilthe current is' brought back to substantially the set value. The chargecontinues in this manner accompanied by a rising voltage across thebattery terminals until the point is reached at which the Volta e coilis set.' The current coil at this point would unbalance the regulator ifthe current in it exceeded its set value, so that as the voltage coil isfully excited the excess pull of the series coil is substantially zero.Further charge causes the battery to maintain the set value of voltagewith a lower current input than that for which the current coil is set,whereupon the current arm rotates clockwise, leaving the voltage coilalone controlling the opening of the carbons. The charge proceeds fromhere on at constant voltage and dimin substantially full, at whichvoltage coil alone assumed control.

ishing current values until the battery is point the charge currentremains small. I Assumin that a full load, of lamps or other trans atingdevices, within the capacity of the generator was thrown on and fed froma batteryin nearly discharged condition, the cycle of operations fromthe start of the car would take place as follows The generator wouldexcite and the main switch close as before, the voltage rising until thecurrent into the battery added to the current flowing to the translatingdevices, reached the value for which the current coil was set. Thiswould occur at a lower voltage than in the previous instance, since thecharging current into the battery would be less. The current solenoidwould act to control the opening of the carbons as before, and longertime would elapse before the voltage rose to the point at which the Fromthis point on the voltage will be maintained constant, causing thebattery charge to taper as before. If. at any time during the chargingof a battery starting with no load of translating devices, such a loadbe thrown on, one of two things will occur. If the battery is still in astate of low charge, the generator will cease delivering its wholecurrent only so much as is not consumed by the translating devices. Ifthe battery be well charged and the voltage solenoid be controlling theopening of the carbons at the time the load is thrown on, the load, ifsmall, will occasion no change as the proper quantity will flow to thebattery and the small additional current will flow to the translatingdevices. For a large load, which at the set voltage would cause the sumof the battery current and load current to exceed the set value, thecurrent coil willrock its arm in an anti-clockwise direction, openingthe carbons and reducing the voltage, and there with the batterycurrent, until the latter added to the load current falls to the setcurrent value. With the coils set and 0perating as above described, incase an unusual load is added, the regulator will operate to permit thegenerator to carry some overload beyond the current value for. which thecurrent solenoid is set, since the high curcent will flow at anunusually low volta e, thus diminishing the usual pull of the Voltagecoil and calling for an unusual condition on the part of the series coilto make up the balancing value.

Considering now the action of the system upon the entire train, it is tobe noted that the potential across the mains at the point of connectionwith the several batteries is substantially constant, as the shortdistance between the generatorv and the adjacent batteries as upon car Balong the conductor 32 is compensated for by the correspondingly greatdistance along the conductor 6. lhus a slight otential drop in conductor32 is neutralize in eflect by an extreme potential dro in conductor 6.

hIbreover, with various batteries in different stages of charge, bridgedacross these conductors, the generator is protected against an unsafeoverload by coil 4 and each battery takes a share of the currentproportional to its state of discharge. For example, if a battery isnearly char ed its back E. M. F. will cut down its charging current to agreater extent than the chargiing current is cut down in a battery at alower state of charge. The generator is thus worked to its fullestcapacity and the charging current automatically divided in accordancewith the needs oi the various batteries. Moreover, as the charges of allof the batteries approach completion the potential will rise and thecurrent be cut down in such mannerv as to'place the generator outputunder control'of-the potential coil and taper off the charges of thevarious batteries. Any battery having a higher voltage than thepotential difference across the main will, of course, be prevented fromback discharge by its corresponding main switch.

It will thus be seen that there is provided apparatus in which theseveral objects of this invention are achieved and the above and otheradvantages attained As many changes could be made in the aboveconstruction and many apparently widely different embodiments of thisinvention could be made without departingifrom the scope thereof, it' isintended that all matter contained in the above description or shown inthe accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and notin a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the followingclaims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features ofthe invention herein described and all statements of the scope of theinvention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to falltherebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In an ZLXlGClTlVGIl railway lighting systern, in combination, agenerator having a i in the presence 0;

shunt field, a carbon pile regulating resistance series with said field,a load circuit including a storage battery and lamps, two coilsgoverning said resistance, said coils having separate cores, andconnecting means between said cores and said resistance comprisingcoacting levers connected to the respective cores and pivoted coaxially,said means permitting regulating movement of one core independently ofmovement of the other core while insuring movement of the first coreconjointly with regulating move ment of the other core.

2. In axle-driven railway lighting systems, in combination, a generatorhaving a shunt field, a carbon pile regulating resistance in series withsaid held, a load circuit including a storage battery and lamps, acurrent coil connected in series with the generator and at least aportion of the load circuit, a voltage coil connected across the mains,said coils having separate cores, and connecting means between saidcores and said resistance comprising coacting levers connected to therespective cores and pivoted coaxially, said means permitting regulatingmovement of one core independently of movement of the other core whileinsuring movement of the first core conjointly with r ulating movementof the other core.

3. In axle-driven railway lighting systems, in combination, a generatorhaving a shunt field, a carbon pile regulating resistance in series withsaid field, a load circuit including a storage battery and lamps, acurrent coil connected in series with the generator and at least aportion of the load circuit, a voltage coil connected across the mains,said coils having separate cores, and connecting means between saidcores and said resistance comprising coacting levers connected to therespective cores and pivoted coaxially, said means permitting regulatingmovement of said voltage core independently of movement of sa urrentcore while insuring movement c i id voltage a re conjointly with repmovement of said current core.

In testimon; 1

.i'lix my signature,

